South Africa

Demand for air care in South Africa continued to rise in 2023, albeit with marginally slower volume sales growth compared to the previous year, as the country experienced a surge in inflation. This contributed to higher company revenues and profits…

Since the pandemic, general dynamics in consumers’ lifestyles have dramatically changed in South Africa. Ongoing remote/hybrid working models for employees mean that many of them continue to spend greater time at home than they would have compared to…

In 2022, airlines in South Africa faced unexpected challenges, leading to devastating consequences for the country's major competitors. Mango, the low cost carrier of South African Airways, had its licence suspended for two years, while Comair, the…

After seeing a notable rebound in total volume sales in 2021, due to the lifting of the COVID-19 lockdown bans, and with growth continuing in 2022, the consumption of alcoholic drinks increased to beyond the pre-pandemic level. This was due to the…

Unlike in many countries, which only saw the closure of foodservice establishments, the sale of alcohol was banned completely in South Africa to help control the spread of the COVID-19 virus in 2020. This meant that, also unlike most other nations,…

When it comes to pain management, analgesics is a popular category, specifically acetaminophen. For many consumers, acetaminophen is their go-to preference as it is easily available across various channels. Additionally, it can be bought without…

With many consumers struggling financially in South Africa, apparel accessories are regarded as non-essential purchases. With the high levels of inflation that impact the daily cost of living for South Africans, many consumers are reducing their…

For many South Africans, apparel and footwear is perceived as a non-essential purchase, with price-sensitive consumers reducing their discretionary spending in 2023 due to the impact of high inflation on food, fuel and even electricity. Consumers are…

The performance of apparel and footwear specialists in South Africa continued to improve in 2023, due to consumers’ revived routines such as returning to the workplace and shopping centres. As inflationary pressure has been impacting disposable…

In 2023, sales via appliances and electronics specialists in South Africa were mainly driven by high inflation and currency depreciation, which directly influenced prices. The channel was also affected by lower demand from cash-strapped consumers,…

South Africa is no longer facing the restrictions of the pandemic, employees have returned to offices and consumers are generally spending greater time outside of the home. This also means that hospitals are no longer full of patients requiring…

Baby and child-specific products in South Africa remained resilient in 2023, despite a struggling economy. Many consumers continued to prioritise their children’s wellbeing, supporting further demand across the category. This ongoing positive…

The average unit price of milk formula is set to see a double-digit rise in 2023 overall, due to inflation and rising production costs. The rising unit price of milk formula is set to result in a retail volume decline for this category in 2023, as…

Flexible plastic and folding cartons remained popular packaging types for dried baby food in South Africa (the second largest category in baby food packaging), as they are considered more lightweight and easy to transport, making them convenient for…

During 2023, many South Africans have been battling to survive financially. Due to consumers being cash-strapped, they have been prioritising the purchase of essential products, including items such as food, fuel, and mortgage or rent. With this…

The average unit price of leavened bread in South Africa, which holds the highest retail volume share in baked goods, has increased significantly in 2023, resulting in another year of retail volume decline, following its weak performance the previous…

Bath and shower in South African remained an essential category for many local consumers in 2023. Despite being financially challenged, much of the country’s population perceives bar soap as essential and tends to be included in most consumers’…

In 2023, demand for beauty and personal care in South Africa continued to rise, despite many local consumers experiencing financial difficulties due to the cost-of-living crises. As a result, South Africans prioritised their expenditure and where…

Bath and shower products were recording the strongest unit volume growth rates in beauty and personal care packaging in South Africa in 2022, which can be attributed to the increasing hygiene awareness among consumers as well as their changing…

In 2022, flavoured/mixed lager saw the strongest performance of all beer categories, with double-digit total volume growth. While this growth was derived from a relatively low base when compared with more mature beer categories, such as standard…

Demand for bleach in South Africa remained stable in 2023, with some consumers choosing this more affordable alternative to surface care due to the impact of inflation on disposable incomes. However, inflationary pressures resulted in category leader…

There continues to be a noticeable preference for shorter lead-time bookings, particularly when it comes to holiday destinations that are closer to the customer’s home and offer lower travel costs. These include journeys that can be easily undertaken…

South Africa has been facing drinking water supply issues, supporting elevated demand for bottled water compared to pre-pandemic levels, including for still bottled water, despite declining off-trade volume sales as a result of a greater return to…

Many consumers in South Africa are price sensitive, but within the context of the review period, they are more cash-strapped than ever before. There are numerous compounding factors reducing the spending power of local consumers, including elevated…

South Africa continues to rank in the bottom half of the Economic Freedom Index, due to the high tax burden, skills shortages and poor fiscal health. However, the country benefits from a stable and sound financial system, high market capitalisation,…

In 2023, double-digit food inflation has seen consumers reduce their overall consumption across categories, with butter, cooking fats, and margarine and spreads all set to see retail volume declines. This is the second year that the prices of…

With COVID-19 restrictions on foodservice outlet trading hours being enforced for a number of years in South Africa, the after effects are still being felt and there is a continued shift from evening to daytime dining. This trend is further…

The legal cannabis market in South Africa has continued to see strong growth on the back of the landmark judgement in 2018, which determined private use and consumption of cannabis as legal within private spaces. As an example, private spaces include…

The Cape Town in South Africa report provides comprehensive city level information benchmarked against other cities in the country and region. The report includes historic data and forecasts on city population, consumer expenditure, digital…

Large category players are narrowing their offerings. As a result, Tab has been discontinued in South Africa. Leading player Coca-Cola seeks to strengthen its current brands and exclude low-performing ones. In its place, it has introduced a…

Cat food is expected to maintain current value growth in South Africa in 2024. The cat population has been rising faster than the dog population in in the country, with the rising popularity of cats leading to increased demand for cat food. While the…

Following the significant decline in transaction value and volumes experienced in 2020 due to extended restrictions imposed in the South African travel and hospitality industries in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the complete lifting of the state…

The cheese category is set to experience muted retail volume growth in 2023, due to a double-digit increase in the average unit price. Significant rises in prices have been limiting consumer purchases, leading to only slow growth in cheese…

Many local consumers remain extremely price sensitive in 2023 due to high levels of inflation impacting the prices of food, fuel, mortgage and even rent in South Africa. Hence, they are looking for value for money when they purchase childrenswear.…

Chocolate confectionery is set to record solid retail current value growth in 2023, driven by unit price increases of around 10% in most categories. Meanwhile, without innovation in terms of flavours, and digital campaigns, stronger volume declines…

The top brand in cider/perry, Savanna, retained its lead in total volume and value terms in 2022, thanks to maintaining strong growth rates. Much of this was a result of changing consumer preferences, with more people shifting to cider from other…

Fine cut tobacco’s value proposition was helping drive demand for this product in 2022. In comparison to its more expensive competitor, cigarettes, fine cut tobacco does not have to factor in the manufacturing cost of creating a ready-to-smoke…

Tobacco faced sanctions in 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown, which saw all tobacco product sales temporarily prohibited, encouraging the illicit trade in cigarettes, which accounted for around a third of overall sales in this year. Following the…

Fine cut tobacco’s value proposition was helping drive demand for this product in 2022. In comparison to its more expensive competitor, cigarettes, fine cut tobacco does not have to factor in the manufacturing cost of creating a ready-to-smoke…

The briefing introduces the Cities Households Necessities Spending Index. The index ranks 1,075 cities by household expenditure on non-discretionary items, namely food, housing, and clothing and footwear. This analysis focuses on 160 major cities.…

Instant coffee retains its dominance of coffee in retail volume terms in South Africa, with sales continuing to rise in 2023 as many local consumers prioritise their disposable incomes by regularly making coffee at home. They are turning to channels…

Demand for colour cosmetics in South Africa remained below pre-pandemic levels in 2023, as many local consumers continued to struggle financially and reduced their purchases of perceived non-essential products. However, sales promotions on colour…

The commodities country overview provides comprehensive data on production, consumption and price trends on key commodities markets. The commodities overview in South Africa covers production and consumption trends in agricultural commodities, energy…

The report examines key factors in supply chain risks in metals, energy and agricultural commodities. Production, market supply concentration and political risks analysis can help to better identify potential risks and prepare for potential…

South Africa remained subject to widespread electricity blackouts (load-shedding) in 2023, which meant that were was no power supply during certain times of the day. This had a negative impact on the operating capability of many organisations across…

In 2023, the average unit price of concentrates witnessed considerably faster growth compared to overall soft drinks in South Africa, although it remains considerably lower per litre (RTD) than the latter. The impact of the sugar tax (the Health…

Moisture and air exposure can lead to undesirable changes in the texture and taste of confectionery such as sugar confectionery, including gummies and chews, and chocolate confectionery, such as boxed assortments. As a result, flexible plastic…

The pandemic has dramatically changed South Africans’ lifestyles in many ways, a trend that is greatly benefiting demand for consumer appliances. For instance, many businesses have now adopted remote/hybrid working models, meaning that employees…

Demand for consumer credit gross lending is set to continue to increase in 2023, despite the South African Reserve Bank’s consecutive rises in interest rates to stabilise inflationary pressures. This trend has been driven mainly by declining…

The consumer electronics market in South Africa is becoming increasingly characterised by high levels of innovation by the leading players. With tough economic conditions placing pressure on consumers’ disposable incomes, brand owners sought to…